Arena Profile: Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant

A strong fiscal conservative dedicated to efficiency and accountability in government, Phil Bryant was elected Mississippi’s thirty-seventh Lieutenant Governor in November 2007, with an overwhelming 59% of the vote.

Governor Kirk Fordice, Mississippi’s first Republican Governor in modern history, appointed then Rankin County State Representative Phil Bryant to restore trust and integrity to the State Auditor’s Office when a vacancy occurred in 1996. Phil’s commitment to honesty and trustworthiness helped restore public confidence in that office, where he recovered more than $12 million in embezzled or improperly spent taxpayer dollars.

As Lt. Governor, Phil Bryant has continued working to ensure accountability in state government through key legislative initiatives. In his first week in office, Bryant proposed live webcasting of the Senate proceedings so taxpayers could see their government in action and hold their elected officials accountable. The Senate unanimously approved this innovative, open-government measure. He also led the fight to pass the most comprehensive ethics reform in nearly twenty-five years, which among other things, requires all elected officials to file their ethics reports online. In 2009, he proposed the Smart Budget Act, a comprehensive overhaul of Mississippi’s budget process driven by a strategic plan and measured results.

Lt. Governor Bryant has a long history of fighting for conservative beliefs, such as lower taxes and traditional values. Prior to serving as State Auditor, Bryant served five years as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives where he was Vice Chairman of the Insurance Committee and authored the Capital Gains Tax Cut Act of 1994.

As a freshman legislator, Phil Bryant began a five-year struggle to end the marriage penalty in Mississippi’s tax code. As Lt. Governor, he worked to pass targeted tax cuts for Mississippi’s small businesses. Lt. Governor Bryant’s persistence in promoting conservative public policy stems from his belief that people – not government – know best how to take care of their own money, and that jobs and economic growth will flourish through the free market system.

As Lt. Governor, Phil Bryant has helped renew conservatives’ pledge to support business and industry as Mississippi has made great strides in economic development and job recruitment. Working with Governor Haley Barbour, Bryant has helped secure financing for global businesses to be located in Mississippi. He understands that small businesses will be the engine that will turn around the national recession, and he has helped work to ensure that Mississippi will be on the leading edge when that recovery occurs.

Phil Bryant has proven his belief in the rights America’s founders intended, and those rights extend to the issues of today. As Lt. Governor, he fulfilled a campaign promise for real immigration reform in Mississippi—the strongest anti-illegal immigration law in Mississippi’s history. Additionally, he has fought for property rights of citizens as well as a strong, real Voter ID law. Phil Bryant is a vocal supporter for protecting the rights of the unborn through his efforts to help the Personhood Initiative, as well as defending Mississippi’s right to opt-out of federally funded abortions under the Obama healthcare bill.

Phil Bryant’s values and leadership were learned at an early age from his parents. Bryant, the son of a diesel mechanic and a mother who stayed home with her three boys, learned early the importance of hard work and education. A Moorhead, Mississippi native and former Deputy Sheriff, Bryant earned his Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s Degree in political science from Mississippi College. The contributing author of three books, Bryant now serves as an adjunct professor of Government at Mississippi College.

Lt. Governor Bryant’s dedication to his work is evident through his years of public service, but his faith and family have always come first. Phil Bryant and his wife, Deborah, have two children, Katie and Patrick. The Bryants are active members of St. Marks United Methodist Church in Brandon, Mississippi.

(Photo by AP)

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant's Recent Discussions

Will other governors walk away from Walker?

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Plus Open Mike weekend, Feb. 26-27

(Interview with POLITICO's Dave Catanese and Seung Min Kim at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C.)

I’m with [Walker]. I understand. I was a police officer … for teachers, firefighters, to organize a union and say we may not go to work … it’s very concerning when public servants, when they begin to say, not only will we resist, but we will march on the Capitol, we will ask doctors to give us false medical reports … I think he is a brave and courageous governor who is doing what he thinks is right.

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